Stress-Less Grooming

Stress-Less Grooming Specialist behaviour-led dog grooming, based in Kilsyth - unit 8, 8 Garrell Road, Kilsyth, G65 9JX Dog grooming
(1)

A lovely free-roam groom with Charlie and Aileen from The Perfect Puppy Company🤩With his groom adapted to a dry groom in...
03/09/2025

A lovely free-roam groom with Charlie and Aileen from The Perfect Puppy Company🤩

With his groom adapted to a dry groom instead of bath, blow dry, then clip on a table, he really loves his visits. Just a stress-free grooming experience that meets all their needs.

Charlie gets to move around freely, choose his own pace, and enjoy all the little treats along the way. It’s lovely how happy and relaxed he is🐾💛

Using extra restraints, muzzles, or cones for bite prevention isn’t a quick fix to “get through” a groom. Even if it wor...
02/09/2025

Using extra restraints, muzzles, or cones for bite prevention isn’t a quick fix to “get through” a groom. Even if it works in the moment, forcing a dog through like this often makes things harder in the long run. Muzzles and restraints also don’t prevent the quick, jerky movements that can cause injury — and they can increase stress if not introduced carefully.

With Chico, we use a cone because he’s comfortable wearing it — and honestly, because I find him tricky to read in his subtle signs. For me, it’s a safety buffer, but it never means we push him past his limits. He gets the same understanding and space as if he wasn’t wearing it. His mum watches his facial cues and lets me know when to pause, and together we’ve built a routine based on treats, communication, and trust.

At home, his mum manages Chico’s facial hair, but on his latest visit we were able to take the cone off and start a little comb and trim around his ears and head 👏 He’s made huge steps over the last year 🐾💛

Health issues, especially pain, can have a huge impact on how dogs cope with grooming. If the root causes aren’t address...
02/09/2025

Health issues, especially pain, can have a huge impact on how dogs cope with grooming. If the root causes aren’t addressed, the experience will always be stressful.

Gizmo has some physical health issues and, after assessments with a veterinary physiotherapist and starting a pain relief programme with his vet, his progress with grooming has been nothing short of amazing. By treating the underlying discomfort, he’s finally able to feel safer in the process.

Just as importantly, Gizmo shows us how well dogs can communicate if we slow down and really observe them. We pause when he gives subtle signs of discomfort, rather than pushing him to his limit, and this helps him feel heard, builds his trust, and allows us to make a little progress each time.

His family were so proud of him on his last visit 👏

This is why dogs benefit from a holistic approach to grooming — looking at the whole dog, not just the coat in front of you 💛

✨ Charlie’s Story ✨Charlie the cockapoo has had such a tough time with grooming. Until recently, he needed to be groomed...
02/09/2025

✨ Charlie’s Story ✨

Charlie the cockapoo has had such a tough time with grooming. Until recently, he needed to be groomed under sedation for safety reasons.

But dogs don’t show extreme behaviour during grooming for no reason. Despite several vet visits, where no physical issues were found, Charlie’s family kept searching for answers. With the help of a brilliant behaviourist, they were referred to a veterinary physiotherapist. After a thorough assessment, the physio suggested X-rays.

The results? Charlie was diagnosed with elbow and hip dysplasia in both sides.

This is such an important reminder: vets are amazing and absolutely essential, but they can’t see inside your dog. Appointments are short, and many dogs are tense in the clinic, which can make subtle pain much harder to spot. It often takes a team approach — vets, behaviourists, physios, and groomers working together — to really understand what’s going on for a dog.

Charlie is lucky to have a family who never stopped searching for answers. Thanks to their persistence, he’s now on the right path to getting the care and comfort he needs. While we can’t rule out the need for some future sedated grooming around certain areas, he’s already accepting his body and hind legs being clipped much more calmly 💛

Gorgeous Hector after his deshedding bath 😍Hector visits really frequently for ear cleaning and nail care, and on his la...
01/09/2025

Gorgeous Hector after his deshedding bath 😍

Hector visits really frequently for ear cleaning and nail care, and on his last visit he had a nice bath with some shedding shampoo. I think his favourite part was definitely post-bath zoomies!

Hector is such a funny wee character and we have a good giggle with his antics. Hopefully we managed to reduce his shedding at home a little!🤩💛

I’ve been working with lovely Echo the border collie for a few years now, and she’s always been easy-going with her groo...
30/08/2025

I’ve been working with lovely Echo the border collie for a few years now, and she’s always been easy-going with her grooming. Recently though, she’s started to feel more reluctant, so we’ve been slowing things down and making a few adjustments to help her feel comfortable again.

On her latest visit, Echo was quite avoidant at first, so I turned it into a little game between her tug toy and some brushing. This gave her something fun and familiar to focus on, while still allowing me to get some of the work done at her pace.

I don’t work with a one-size-fits-all approach — every session should be flexible, adapting to how the dog feels on the day. A change in behaviour might simply mean they’re worried, but it could also be down to something physical like aches or pains. By listening to them and adjusting as we go, we can keep grooming a positive experience throughout their lives.

Always so grateful for families like Echo’s who are open to open to working at their dog’s pace 💛

✨ Libby the maltipoo showing off her cute little face trim 😍Face trimming can be tricky for her — partly because she’s s...
30/08/2025

✨ Libby the maltipoo showing off her cute little face trim 😍

Face trimming can be tricky for her — partly because she’s so very dinky, and having hands coming towards her little face can probably feel a bit scary.

In grooming training, we’re often taught to keep a dog’s head still by holding their chin hair. Personally, I don’t love this method — it can create tension and resistance, and there are gentler ways to help a dog stay steady for just a few seconds at a time.

Libby is quick with her movements, so i do need to have my left hand on her while I trim as this helps me sense when she’s about to wriggle, meaning I can try my best to work with her, rather than against her, and keep the experience as calm and positive as possible.

With her mum by her side and a few breaks on the floor to move around throughout, Libby manages her grooming routine really well 💛

5…4…3…2…1… treat!Bluey and her mum showed me their fabulous countdown game which we used during her second grooming sess...
30/08/2025

5…4…3…2…1… treat!

Bluey and her mum showed me their fabulous countdown game which we used during her second grooming session to give Bluey a focus with a game she’s familiar with.

Counting between rewards this way can be a great way of spacing out the treats, while still keeping grooming a predictable and rewarding experience for your dog. It can also promote stillness during grooming without asking too much of them at once. Bluey was able to sit patiently throughout and we had a lovely routine going with her groom and treats.

Lovely stuff!😍💛

Having lived through separation anxiety with one of my own dogs, it means a lot to me to know I’m helping other people w...
29/08/2025

Having lived through separation anxiety with one of my own dogs, it means a lot to me to know I’m helping other people with a similar experience. Separation issues can be so hard for dogs and their owners, and they can have a really negative impact on a dog’s experience of grooming. No matter how kind and gentle a groomer is, if a dog is already in an anxious state with separation, any grooming that happens during that time can feel overwhelming, scary, or even traumatic.

That’s why it’s so important to consider the whole context of a dog’s emotional state when approaching grooming — not just the groom itself.

I am so glad that little Molly the cavalier and her family found their way to me. Working with her mum by her side has completely transformed her experience of grooming. She may still not be the biggest fan of it, but it doesn’t stress her out and she really loves her visits.

Having her climb onto my knee for a cuddle last weekend showed me just how comfortable she is now. So sweet🥰💛

When you’ve had to have your dog groomed under sedation or anaesthetic by your vet, it might seem like there’s no coming...
28/08/2025

When you’ve had to have your dog groomed under sedation or anaesthetic by your vet, it might seem like there’s no coming back from that, and your dog will never be able to be groomed any other way… but you might be wrong!

Here are just a few of the dogs I’ve worked with who are starting to experience grooming in a positive way after needing sedation at the vet. Some of them, like Ru, Murphy, George and Harvey, only had certain areas done, while others, like Charlie and Abi the cockapoos, have needed a full clip at the vet more than once.

And these are just a handful — I know many more dogs who’ve been through vet grooming and are now overcoming their fears through behaviour-led grooming. I can’t make any promises and it takes time, but it is possible.

Big steps for these little paws 🐾💛

I do love a proper breed-standard Westie trim – those neat little ears are a classic look – but it’s not something I’ve ...
22/08/2025

I do love a proper breed-standard Westie trim – those neat little ears are a classic look – but it’s not something I’ve actually done since my training. I’m always honest in enquiries: I don’t do breed-standard trims, and if that’s what you want, I can recommend plenty of other groomers! But if your Westie finds grooming tricky, I’m here for you. 😉

Fergus had his bath and trim this afternoon. With his mum offering treats, he managed really well – though a bit of extra liver paste meant he wasn’t keen on posing for a photo!

Murphy came for his dry groom. He’s brilliant on his hind legs and body, but trimming his face is still a challenge. With baths at home, I can focus on the tricky bits and make each visit as positive as possible.

Having the same coat and breed doesn’t mean they have the same needs – not when we take a dog-centred approach. They’ve each got their own personality and individual care to match 💛

Skype 😍 just look at that gorgeous face!This boy absolutely loves his free-roam grooming sessions. He and his mum travel...
22/08/2025

Skype 😍 just look at that gorgeous face!

This boy absolutely loves his free-roam grooming sessions. He and his mum travel quite a way to Kilsyth — and while I do wish more groomers worked this way when needed, I can’t say I’m sorry he has to come to me… I adore him!

Today he had a brush through and a paw trim, plus a nail trim — which is a huge leap in trust for Skype. What a star ⭐

Well done, Skype, and thank you to his mum for all her efforts to give him a great grooming experience 💛

Address

Kilsyth

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+447552009320

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Stress-Less Grooming posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Stress-Less Grooming:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

About me

I’m Louise and I run Alba K9, a premium dog walking and dog grooming business based in Kilsyth and Cumbernauld. I decided to start Alba K9 after 5 years working as an instructor for a prison-based dog training programme and The Dog’s Trust, and a huge passion for helping people with their dogs. Animal Welfare is at the centre of everything I do and this is reflected in the services I provide and the methods I use when working with dogs.

My services are fully insured and I have undergone an annual Police disclosure check for the past 9 years. I am also a member of the Pet Professionals Guild British Isles and therefore I adhere to and promote only force-free methods of working with dogs. I am passionate about learning and I am continually developing my knowledge and experience of working with dogs.

I tailor my services to suit individual owners and their dog’s needs and I try to build a great bond with every dog I work with. My dog walking service is like no other in the area, with a maximum of 4 dogs and games and activities that will satisfy your dog’s natural curiosities and instincts. I use my knowledge and experience to learn about each dog so I can provide them with more than just a walk!

My dog grooming service is focused on kind and gentle handling and puts the dog’s needs and feelings first at all times. I offer salon-based dog in Cumbernauld and grooming in your home. Check out my website at www.albak9.co.uk for full details about me and my services.